Ex-Prince George’s County Council member to serve 1 year in prison for felony theft scheme

Former Prince George’s County Council member Mel Franklin is set to serve one year in prison for using campaign funds for personal use and falsifying campaign finance records.

Franklin was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison, with four years suspended, according to a news release from the Maryland state prosecutor’s office. Franklin was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay more than $133,000 in restitution.

The former council member signed a guilty plea on Aug. 26 to perjury and felony theft scheme.

Franklin resigned from the council on June 14, less than a week before he was charged in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court with embezzlement, perjury and theft scheme related to his mishandling of campaign funds.

“We hope that this dissuades others who may seek to use their official position for personal gain or to interfere with the integrity of Maryland elections,” state prosecutor Charlton Howard III, said in the news release.

[Former Prince George’s County Council member pleads guilty to theft scheme, perjury]

Franklin had served the county as an at-large council member since 2018 after representing District 9 on the council from 2010 to 2018.

In his plea agreement, Franklin admitted to transferring more than $124,000 from his campaign account to his personal checking account. The money, which was not returned to his campaign account, was used to pay rent for his apartment, dinners, international trips and cosmetic procedures for himself and “a close personal friend,” according to the plea agreement.

Franklin also pleaded to using more than $8,700 in campaign funds for personal expenses from 2021 to 2023. Franklin used the funds to pay his credit card debt, for personal vehicle repairs and for hotel stays for a friend, the plea agreement stated.

Franklin falsified his campaign finance reports by not disclosing these payments, according to the plea agreement.

District 5 council member and council chair Jolene Ivey won the Nov. 5 special election to fill Franklin’s at-large council seat.